The Philadelphia Eagles are rolling into their Week 4 showdown against the Los Angeles Rams with a lineup that’s missing some absolutely massive pieces, and they are dressing a mere 47 players, two fewer than the allowed 49. It’s a shocking list of inactives that puts an immediate spotlight on Philly’s depth, or lack thereof, for this pivotal early season game.
Missing Their Stars: A Nightmare Scenario For Philly
Look, this isn’t just a few backups out. The Eagles officially announced that their top offensive lineman, Lane Johnson, their top receiver, DeVonta Smith, and their top tight end, Dallas Goedert, are ALL out for this Rams game. Seriously. Lane Johnson was unexpectedly ruled questionable due to personal reasons shortly before the inactives dropped, which is definitely a gut punch for the O-line. Then you’ve got Fred Johnson (OT), Zack Baun (LB), Marcus Epps (S), and Hollywood Brown (WR) all sidelined due due to injuries reported on Friday. And as if that wasn’t enough, quarterback Cole Payton is inactive as the team’s fourth quarterback, meaning they’re heading into this game without an emergency third QB ready to go. Not great!
O-Line Woes and Roster Head Scratchers
With both Lane Johnson and Fred Johnson out, rookie Markel Bell is getting thrown into the fire with his first NFL start at right tackle, and on short notice too. Bell showed some promise in the offseason, and thankfully he won’t have to face Myles Garrett today, but this is still a huge test for a rookie. The tackle depth behind Bell and Jordan Mailata is virtually nonexistent. If either of those guys goes down, the Eagles would likely have to kick starting right guard Tyler Steen out to tackle and then slot Willie Lampkin into Steen’s spot. The only other backup offensive lineman available for this game is rookie Micah Morris. That’s a tightrope walk for sure.
On the positive side, it looks like Tanner McKee is reportedly overtaking Andy Dalton as QB2, which honestly, never made sense to keep Dalton as the backup, let alone on the roster at all. Also, Zach Ertz and Josiah Deguara got temporarily elevated from the practice squad and are active, with Deguara making his Eagles debut. But even with those additions, dressing just 47 players, two less than the allowed 49, highlights some truly bizarre bottom-of-the-roster management that’s been happening all season. For the Rams, the most notable inactive is top tight end Colby Parkinson, but he didn’t practice all week, so no real surprises there. They’ve still got three tight ends on the roster even with him out and Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve.
With so many key players out and the depth chart looking thinner than usual, this Week 4 game against the Rams is going to be a true test of grit for the Eagles. Can they rally despite the unprecedented challenges? It’s going to be wild to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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